EVERETT —In the next year, the Port of Everett plans to break ground on the second and largest phase of its Waterfront Place mixed-use project.

And as it gears up for development, climate change adaptation and mitigation are at the forefront of the port’s plans.

The Millwright District, situated between the north and central docks, will have more than 60,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space, 200,000 square feet of commercial and office space and include over 300 residential units.

Until construction starts, large piles of dirt indicate the port’s forward thinking, tying its desire for waterfront expansion with environmentally conscious design.

“We’re taking into account sea level rise when we’re planning site elevations,” said the port’s chief of planning and development Erik Gerking. “The ground will be brought up 5-plus feet or so.”

A 2018 University of Washington climate assessment predicted by 2070, the Puget Sound will rise more than 2½ feet in Snohomish County. By the end of the century, the estimate increases to above 4½ feet.

Older infrastructure, like a bathroom near the central docks, show how much a few feet can change. Passersby now walk above the door frame of the bathroom, on top of foundation laid down for future building.

“We’re very lucky to be developing property after this data has become available,” Gerking said.

The port has been aware of the importance of planning for climate change effects for years. In 2016, the port moved the historic Weyerhaeuser Building to Boxcar Park at the outer tip of the marina, making sure to place the first Weyerhaeuser sawmill on elevated ground.

And while the marina is actively adapting to climate change’s effects, the port is simultaneously finding ways to mitigate its contribution to the global issue.

In the past decade, the port has invested more than $150 million to modernize its facilities, including a $57 million upgrade to its south terminal with two new electric cranes for moving cargo.

Right now, the port is working to electrify Pier 3, phasing out diesel generators and installing utilities that will support electric tugboats. Once electrified, an estimated 630 tons of carbon dioxide will be eliminated in the first year alone, according to port documents.

In August, the state Legislature awarded the port $4.3 million in Climate Commitment Act dollars for a $5.8 million project to construct electrical charging infrastructure at the south terminal and buy electric yard trucks for moving shipments.

Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson. Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.